


The Third Musketeer

by Ellislash (MintSharpie)



Category: Left 4 Dead 2
Genre: Drabble, Friendship, Fun, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2015-06-01
Packaged: 2018-04-02 09:50:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4055551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MintSharpie/pseuds/Ellislash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the beginning of a beautiful, crazy friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Third Musketeer

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in 2012.

The Hog Pit was a back-alley dive, and never particularly busy, but this week was a fateful exception. High school graduation had been that afternoon, and a crowd of fresh-faced eighteen-year-olds armed with testosterone and fake IDs had been loosed on downtown Savannah. Dave obliviously occupied his usual corner tonight, book splayed open on the table before him and PBR sweating dew in his hand. A flurry of movement caught his eye; but if it hadn't been for the accompanying burst of noise, he probably wouldn't have given it a second thought. The ruckus completely drowned out the music from his heaphones, though, which ruffled his feathers enough to make him pry his nose from the pages and raise an irritated eyebrow at the newcomers.

There were only two of them, but from the sound there could have been a dozen. They were at least a couple of years younger than Dave, who had only become legally allowed to drink last month, but they were clearly far from sober and ordered a shot of Jaeger each from a bartender who didn't bother carding them. While they waited they chattered loudly, talking over one another about how awesome the bar crawl was and how the rest of the class were such lightweights.

The hipster was just about to roll his eyes and crank the volume when the redheaded youngster caught sight of him.

“Hey yew!” the auburn-haired boy called, swerving across the room. “Whuss yer name, huh? Why's a han-sum devil like yew sittin' here all by hisself?”

Dave blinked at him in disbelief, too stunned to blush despite generally turning red at the slightest provocation. “I... uh...”

“Keith!” hollered the flirtatious one's buddy, weaving over to join them. “Whut in th' hell you doin', hay-rass-in' this here feller? Ain't we here ta drink?”

“C'mon, Ellis, lookit him!” the one named Keith protested, waving an unsteady hand in Dave's general direction. “Don't it seem like sum-bo-dee oughta show 'im a good time?”

“Ex- _cuse_ me,” Dave interrupted, trying to appear dignified. “Who asked fer yer opinion?”

“Aw, you jus' gotta fergive Keith, he c'n be kinda hot-headed sometimes,” the brunette offered bashfully. His friend guffawed.

“An' jus' plain hot _all_ 'uh th' time,” he added with what he thought was a roguish wink. “C'mon, man, I'mma start callin' yew Sexy if I don't gitcher name.”

“I... you...” he began to protest, then sighed. “Dave. M'name's Dave. Wouldja please leave me alone now?”

“Nope!” Keith announced with a slightly manic grin. “Yer comin' with us, sexy-Dave! We got five more bars ta hit t'night an' sum-bo-dee's gotta take pick-shurs!” He hiccupped and pulled a cheap camera from his pocket to thrust into the new recruit's hands. Without making sure of the unwilling photographer's grip he then proceeded to drag him bodily out of the chair and towards the door.

“Hey, waitamin- y'can't just- hey!”

Ellis shook his head in amusement, picked up the abandoned book, and left some money on the bar before following them out into the night.


End file.
